Tag: Sports Romance (Page 1 of 5)

BOOK REVIEW: The Nicest Thing (Southern U O’Brien Brothers #5) by Cookie O’Gorman

November 5, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Nicest Thing (Southern U OBrien Brothers #5)
by Cookie O'Gorman
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Romance author seeks fake husband.

I told one lie. A lie of omission, but it may cost me my writing career—which can't happen. I need the money from book sales to save my grandma, the woman who raised me, or she'll be kicked out of senior living.

That's why I accept Finn's offer—even when I know I shouldn't.

Best friend wants to pretend.

Finn O'Brien is smart, kind, too gorgeous for his own good. He's a nice guy, a gentleman, and he's always had my back. When Finn finds out I'm in trouble, he steps in to save the day.

I've been secretly in love with my best friend for years—but he's also my roommate's little brother, four years younger than me, and so off-limits.

I won't risk losing him.

But as Finn and I attend author events, we end up sharing a bed. Will we stay just friends? Or will I finally tell Finn the truth?

He was always my endgame.

This new adult sports romance features two best friends, one marriage of convenience, fake romance, and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

Review:

The Nicest Thing was a fake marriage of convenience that was so much fun. With sports and friends to lovers mixed together, this story was beyond easy to devour. So if you’re needing a romance that is beyond adorable, with a little steam, and two characters that love the book world as much as us, then this is your book!

“Gorgeous, Curvy Romance Author Seeks Fake Husband.”

Rose wanted a husband to do book reels with, and after lying in an interview that she was married she found herself stuck. When her bestie Finn volunteered to be her fake husband, Rose seemed floored. Finn and Rose had only ever been friends, and he was four years younger. While they were both clueless that the other one wanted them, it was entertaining watching them both find their way to their happily ever after!

I wanted to be used.
By her.
In any way, every way.

Finn was a cinnamon roll who had no problem laying it all out there. He had his eyes on the prize, and knew that Rose was his forever. I loved how supportive he was of her, and that he was one of her biggest fans! But I have to say that this book shocked me. In the previous books, Rose came across as confident and I loved her older vibe. But in this story we got to see all of her insecurities and the struggles she faced within her own head. I just wanted to hug her!

Finn never seemed to notice, but pieces of him were in all my books. Some of my heroes’ best lines were things Finn had said to me.

Once they both agreed to their fake marriage, I was clapping my hands with joy! Finn charmed his way into my heart, and I loved how their moments together had so much tension. It left me begging for them to truly cross that line to more. So with only one bed, steamy moments, sleepy confessions, and slow dances, I fell in love right along with Finn and Rose!

He was good at everything. Casual touches that set my skin on fire? Check. Flirtatious glances that made me feel like the sexiest woman in the room even though I knew I wasn’t? Check. Kind words that embedded themselves deeply into my heart? Check.

Finn and Rose were so effortless to love! Their journey had me laughing but I loved how it had touching emotional moments too. When you mix that with jealousy, friendship, book club time, and more, I adored their story! And while this was the final book about the O’Brien brothers, I can’t wait for us to read Emmy and Seaver’s story down the road. I hope she makes him work for it and grovel like no other lol!!!!

“Love is worth the risk.”

BOOK REVIEW: The Love Dare (The Love Match #3) by Kay Marie

October 15, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Love Dare by Kay Marie
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
He’s the most eligible bachelor in professional hockey.

She’s his best friend’s little sister—aka, completely off-limits.

Until now...

Winnie Rusu is obsessed with romance—which is good when considering her budding career as a book cover designer, but not so good when considering the massive crush she’s harboring on her brother’s grumpy best friend. Not that she’d ever admit it to him, of course. The man is a hockey superstar who can get any woman he wants, and clearly, that’s not her. But when she discovers he’s the new lead of the hit dating show, The Love Match, Winnie is forced to make a decision—finally embrace her main character energy and tell him exactly how she feels, or watch him fall in love with someone else.

When she steps out of a limo on night one of filming, Tyler Briggs is sure he must be dreaming. She’s the one girl he’s always wanted, and the one girl he can never have—because her father saved his life, her brother is like blood, and he promised himself he would never cross that line. But when she says those three little words he’s always longed to hear, Tyler doesn’t have the strength to say no.

On the set of a show designed to produce love, falling is easy. But for a man who’s never felt wanted and a woman who’s never felt worthy, staying there is something else entirely.

THE LOVE DARE is a brother’s best friend hockey romance perfect for fans of grumpy/sunshine, it’s always been you, and dual POV. It’s the standalone, third installment of The Love Match series.

Review:

The Love Dare was a grumpy sunshine, brother’s best friend, hockey romance that went straight onto my favorites list! I binged this book in under 24 hours, and I don’t even remember the last time I’ve done that. And while technically yes, it’s the third in the series of standalones, start here! It’s so easy to love and effortless to start with this book. I promise you won’t be missing anything besides wanting to go back and read the others once you finish this one!

She was Alex’s sister.
She was Alexandru’s daughter.
She was completely off limits.
And she was devastatingly perfect.

The prologue had me cackling, and from there we are taken to the past. The first third of this story took place with moments from their past, and each chapter got us closer to the present. The way it unfolded had me completely hooked! How her dad took him under his wing for hockey. How we got to watch their friendship form and when Tyler stood up and protected her. And even how they both liked each other, but neither of them would make a move not knowing how the other felt. The bracelet, the jersey, the movies, the studying in college …. oh my gosh, those moments were everything!

“I know how they think. And they would absolutely live for the drama of Tyler’s childhood friend coming on the show as a surprise guest to confess her undying love for him.”
“What?” Winnie gasps, her heart launching like a rocket into space.

When we caught up to the show, I was beyond invested. Not only did I want Winnie as my bestie, but Tyler was a book boyfriend I was obsessed about. I loved how he tried his best to not play by the rules. But with stuff hanging over him, he had to go along with the show’s games. And while the drama was a lot of fun to read about, what made my heart race were their moments together. The looks. The touches. The handing out the necklace after each elimination. I was on bated breath waiting to see what happened next!

He leans closer.
“You’re sexy when you’re angry,” he whispers. “I’ve always thought so.”
“Always?” she asks, searching his gaze.

This story was a ton of fun! I laughed so much and even screamed quite a few times too. These characters easily stole a piece of my heart and I was rooting every step of the way for their happily ever after. Watching Winnie grow up and find her voice made me so happy. And Tyler’s past, ugh, it hurt my heart. But when they were together, everything felt right. The tension between them was simmering and those moments when they did cross the line were fabulously steamy.

“It was never about the bracelet.”

The Love Dare is my new favorite hockey romance! Their confessions, their kisses, and their dates swept me away. Every moment of them together was always my new favorite! And I even cried happy tears too! Plus, there’s an epilogue that looks into the future and it will make you so happy. So if you love sports romance, found family, and brother’s best friend, you need this book in your life! It was fun, flirty and emotional too. It’s my new favorite and I can’t wait to see what Kay Marie writes next!

“So, what now?”
“You’re the reader.” He shrugs.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Isn’t what obvious?”
He presses his lips to her ear. “We live happily ever after.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4) by Tessa Bailey

October 9, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

Pitcher Perfect () by Tessa Bailey (Big Shots #4)
by Tessa Bailey
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor” is his roomie—and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher, girl least likely to take anyone’s bull…and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie might be dazzled by the badass pitcher, but Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him.

When he discovers she’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend/love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?

Through a series of contests that require them to trust each other, Robbie and Skylar grow closer and closer until their fake relationship starts to feel like the realest thing they’ve ever known and the sizzling lessons in sensuality burn out of control.

But it’s all just pretend…right?

Review:

Pitcher Perfect was a fake dating, sports romance that easily became an instant favorite! With a story that you’ll quickly get lost in, characters that leapt from the pages, and an ending that will leave you beyond happy, it was effortless to love this story! If you’re a fan of forced proximity, only one bed, fake dating or sports romance, this is your book!

Fuck you, she mouthed at him.
A smile spread across his bearded face.
Oh. She couldn’t wait to strike this guy out.
This one’s for the girls.

Robbie Corrigan was someone I never took seriously. In the previous books, I only saw him as a player. Even though he was dedicated to hockey. Yet when Skylar walked into his life, everything changed. This story started in a scene you’ll remember vividly from Dream Girl Drama. The baseball game of hockey players against baseball players. And the pitcher going against Robbie and his team was Skylar Paige, D1 softball pitcher. She was also Elton’s sister. Right from the start, the banter and barbs from Robbi and Skylar were EVERYTHING! But Skylar had been in love with her brother’s best friend since she was 15. Robbie didn’t stand a chance. Or did he?

A Division 1 all-American pitcher who made fun of his shoes and implied she’d like to stab him with a hockey skate?
Hot. That was fucking hot.

Now while you don’t have to read the previous books in this series, I can’t recommend them enough. Watching the growth Robbie goes through was phenomenal! This book made me fall head over heels in love with him. His thoughts had me swooning and obsessed, his humor was so ridiculous, and he was such a caring guy. When he agreed to be Skylar’s date to make her brother’s best friend jealous, I was all in! Robbie plays to win, and I just knew he would win Skylar over!

Robbie leaning down and hovering his mouth a hair away from Skylar’s. Close enough to taste orange juice on her breath. “You’re fucking beautiful all the time, but especially when you laugh.”

Skylar was so easy to connect to. I loved that she helped bring out Robbie’s softer side and we got to see how caring and thoughtful he could be for her. So when she busted out her itinerary, I was screaming! Fake dating and lessons?! What unfolded was smile worthy and will have you falling in love with the both of them! Plus the jealousy was so fabulously done muahahahah! Skylar started out strongly disliking Robbie, he was just a means to an end. She wanted her brother’s best friend to notice and want her. But along the way, Robbie kept showing her again and again who he truly was. And that he had her back. So while there was so much fun in the pages, there were also emotional moments too. I couldn’t help but cry all the tears.

“I didn’t think anyone would see me,” she whispered, breath hitching.
“Really, Rocket?” Robbie labored through a few inhales, exhales. A few violent clenches of his heart. “Don’t you know I never stop looking at you?”

Pitcher Perfect was a story that will capture your heart! It was so easy to devour and I loved the dangerous game Skylar and Robbie played! Plus their nicknames were everything! Their love story officially became my favorite in this series! So if you’re looking for a beach read, curl up next to a fire read, or just a book that will make you happy, I can’t recommend this one enough! It was all the stars!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Other Favorite Quotes:

Robbie was a side character who’d walked into a love story already in progress.

She leaned forward, then way back in her chair. As if she comprehended where he was going with this line of questioning but wasn’t sure if Robbie was quite that crazy. Spoiler alert: he was.

Skylar took a very heavy gulp. Braced. “If you open my glove compartment, there’s a white leather planner. There’s a slip of paper folded in the middle. It’s an . . . itinerary. Of potential lessons, so to speak.”
He almost broke the glove compartment getting it open.

Robbie was already falling for Skylar. The only thing keeping him realistic and grounded about his chances was the fact that she loved someone else. But if he had attraction on his side? Hope opened doors. Hope made him feel like he had a shot.

“Skylar . . .” I overestimated my ability to hand you over to someone else. Someone better. With that truth ringing in his head, he turned to leave.

“At least come in for a beer.”
“Oh my God. No. I don’t want to see any girls in whipped cream bikinis. I only want to see Skylar in sweatpants.”
“You’ve been brainwashed,” Mailer whispered.

Halfway out into the hallway, he stopped.
Strode back to the bed and leaned down, drugging her with a kiss. A long, soul-searing kiss that closed her eyes involuntarily and squeezed the region south of her throat.
Oh dear.
“Consider me, Skylar.”

He’d set out to teach her how to attract and keep a man, but she’d ended up teaching him about himself, instead. What he valued most. Who he wanted to be.
Where he wanted to be and with whom.

Who could have guessed the girl whose first words to him were fuck you would end up becoming his everything?

BOOK REVIEWS: The First Score & The Final Play (The Summerville Sports Series #2 & #3) by Amie Knight

January 22, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The First Score (The Summerville Sports Series #2)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There was something about that first score, and not just on the football field.

I loved all of life's firsts, which was why I’d been saving mine for one girl, my older sister’s best friend—Hazel Jones.

She was tough and sarcastic with walls around her heart as tall as a football stadium, but I knew she was the one for me.

Desperate times called for desperate measures and I’d have done anything to make her mine.

Like create a fake online persona.
Lie about my age.
Pretend I wasn’t some naive virgin.

And catfish the hell out of the love of my life.

Review:

The First Score was an older sister’s best friend’s sports romance. With the virgin trope and slow burn wrapped together, I loved how this story played out! Oliver and Hazel were emotional, steamy, and made my heart so happy. Especially since the angst was done fabulously. Plus, if you adore nicknames, they were some of my favorites!

I’d wait for her as long as she needed. Time was measured in such a small number compared to the sheer volume of my love for Hazel.

We were given little snippets of their past when they were younger, and it added so much depth to their story. And I loved that this book had one of my favorite micro tropes ever……when the guys takes care of the girl in a certain situation, swoon! So with a fabulous happily ever after, The First Score was a fun and flirty book to listen to! Also, if you’ve read The Red Zone, know that this story starts out before that one, catches up to the end of that book and explains why he was hiding haha, and then proceeds to go into the future from there. This could be read as a standalone, but I loved the previous book, and can’t recommend it enough too!

The Final Play (The Summerville Sports Series #3)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The Final Play isn’t always the end. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of something far more beautiful.

As a professional linebacker, I lived and breathed football.

The only thing I loved as much as the game was my twin brother, Max, who kept me almost as busy cleaning up his messes.

The most recent of which landed him behind bars.

So, it shouldn’t have surprised me when a beautiful woman showed up on my doorstep, claiming to be pregnant with Max’s baby.

Glory was unexpected, infuriating, and flat-out crazy most of the time.

But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, that tiny spitfire slammed into my boring life with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, blowing through my defenses until she’d carved her name in my heart—permanently.

I feared we would never work. She was a single mom, my brother’s ex, and one more chance for me to fail yet another person I loved.

But if football was my church, then Glory was my heaven.

Review:

The Final Play was an age gap, forced proximity, sports romance that will tug at your heart. With pregnancy and a twin thrown into the mix, this book took us on an emotional journey with a sprinkling of forbidden love. Mason and Glory together were a beautiful thing to watch unfold. They were both so independent, but at the same time needed one another too. And I loved their steamy moments together, especially that bathroom scene! With nicknames that I loved again, Tink is the cutest! And a look into the future with the most wonderful happily ever for all, I adored this book! This was another fun one to listen to, that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I felt like this might be the final punch and it was a knockout. Because I had a feeling that Mason Stark was my person. And I couldn’t even have him.

BOOK REVIEW: Wildfire (Maple Hills #2) by Hannah Grace

February 21, 2024 / Jen / 1 Comment

Wildfire (Maple Hills #2)
by Hannah Grace
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

Review:

While I adored Icebreaker, this book and I didn’t mesh as well. One of my favorite things that was missing in this story was the group dynamic. I adored that we got it in the beginning, with the Jenga scene. And that it pushed Russ and Aurora together. But once they left for camp, that component was gone. Yes there were characters at camp I adored, but they didn’t give off that same feeling, or the banter. I missed it.

Russ Callaghan can call me a good girl anytime.

While the camp scene wasn’t really my thing, what I did enjoy about this story was the characters. I adored them and felt their struggles in my heart. These characters were so fleshed out and their issues felt real to me. Russ was the sweet, cinnamon roll guy that was so easy to fall for. And Aurora felt like the girl next door you could easily be besties with. And both of them were hurting because of their family. People had always made both of them feel less than and they tried their best to hide their hurt deep. His dad had a gambling addiction, and her dad just ignored her. I knew that they could find happiness with each other, if they would just take that next big step!

“We could have just had a conversation. This is not the kind of main character moment I’m looking for in my life!” She groans loudly, peeking at me between her fingers.

Watching their friendship form was heartwarming. I loved how they had to work for it. How the camp forced them together, like in the team building activities. And how they realized they were having miscommunication issues. Yet the whole time, it felt like their story was low on the angst and tension. So they were adorable and also had some steam too! Their date in the back of the truck was beyond cute! And the epilogue down the road left me closing this book with a smile. But for me, this book was wayyyyy too long. I would have been happier with a couple hundred less pages. So if you’re looking for a forced proximity, miscommunication, NA romance with a cinnamon roll guy, then this book may just be what you were looking for!

“You are the brightest thing in my life, Aurora,” he says. “And you’re a living reminder of the good things that can happen when I allow myself to be happy.”

PS I adored Fish, Trout, and Salmon!